varjohaltia | Jan. 10th, 2012

One of the most famous fall color spots in Kyoto is the Arashiyama area. Of course the weather still had no intent of cooperating, so wandering around the area involved ducking rain showers. Instead of spending much time on the northern side of the river, where the main tourist attractions and sights are, I ended up crossing to the south and heading up-river. I was hoping to catch a break in the clouds, and Arashiyama itself was already in the shade, so I reckoned a view across the river of the northern mountains was a better bet. That didn't really pan out, but the stroll along the river was relaxing and peaceful, which certainly beats crowds of tourists. Besides, when I saw this sign, my curiosity was piqued:

Along the way, there were a few breaks in the clouds. There are a number of boats on the river; you can rent a row boat, or a trip on a boat that is propelled by a man and a pole, or a much more mundane outboard-engine kind. Either way, they take you up the river from the Moon Crossing Bridge to a secluded spot behind a bend, where they either turn around, feed some ducks, or pull ashore for a brief stop of tea.

I'm guessing this part of the river wasn't always in as natural a state as it currently appears, but the steep hills, dense vegetation and amazingly clear teal-shaded water were breathtaking, and I found myself just sitting on a rock for a while, enjoying the surroundings.

Around this time the river becomes too narrow for the larger tour boats to navigate, and more quiet. Not much further, I finally found the approach up the hill to the Senko-ji / Daihikaku temple that the original sign, and several more along the way, had been drawing me to. There were buildings that appeared to be residences of some sort along the river, but fencing and route of the path kept their mystery intact.

The climb up the mountainside isn't all that long, but soon enough, aside from the signs, the simple nature of the temple becomes obvious in the construction of the railings and shuttered ticket booth. Finally, at the temple, a young monk collected the entry fee. It was in the neighborhood of five hundred yen, but in exchange there's a photocopied package of information about the temple and its sect of buddhism — and the fee includes the right to ring the temple bell three times. A few steps up the hill past the bell shelter is the main temple complex. A recent typhoon had badly damaged the original structure, and compared to the ancient, huge engineering marvels this small outpost in the hills has nothing architectural to offer. Yet, as so often is the case with small temples and shrines, it makes up for its lack of pomp with friendly staff, an amazing view, and an overwhelming air of calm and welcome.

Overall, if you're in the Arashiyama area and tired of chasing the "must see" sights or crowds, I recommend a detour here.

Once done with the temple, I returned to the north shore. A park there afforded some good views of Arashiyama, including the Senko-ji temple I had just visited:

Past the park and the Sagano bamboo forest, there's also Rakushisha, the hermitage of a famous poet Mukai Kyorai. Famous haiku can be found set in stone in the garden, and the 300+ year old house has been preserved in its original state as a museum.

Also in the garden, a traditional deer-scare feeding a purification pool